This summer we are making an effort to walk our lactating dairy goats along areas that are accessible to humans but still provide abundant forage. Because we live rurally in a temperate rainforest, the difficulty lies in human accessibility rather than locating forage. Simply put, our dairy goats help with brush control.

We have done quite a bit of research on feeding dairy goats to ensure healthy milkers. We are working on a management program that includes pasture rotation, chemical parasite control, correct protein feed levels, vitamin and mineral supplementation and fresh clean water at all times. Just like everything else on the farm, our dairy goat feeding program is a work in progress. Our future goal is to implement as much browse as possible either as pasture/woodlot forage or through seeding food plots.

One of the most intriguing plants is Sericea Lespedeza, which happens to grow abundantly here on the property as a weed. We even have enough left over to make goat garlands!